


Salvation's Cold Embrace

by LessAttitudeMoreAltitude



Series: Chain Breaker [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: (Oh HERA IS NOT THE ONE ABUSING KANAN), Angst, F/M, Gen, Hera is Not Nice, Hurt/Comfort, I'm really putting Kanan through the wringer, Inquisitor!Hera, Kanan Whump, Minor Injuries, Non-Consensual Touching, Short Story, Slavery, Slow Burn, So much angst, This is the first of a series, Torture, at most she's cold and dismissive, but Jabba? massive creep, hence the warning, over the course of the series, she'll get better but for now she's a bit mean, she's mean but she's not a predator, so enjoy, there's no rape but there is some non-consensual sexual content, this was very spur of the moment without much forethought
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:55:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22470625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LessAttitudeMoreAltitude/pseuds/LessAttitudeMoreAltitude
Summary: Threeshot AU. The Fourteenth Sister is renown for her skills as not just a Jedi killer, but as a breaker of chains and liberator. When she finds a Jedi enslaved and broken, she doesn't quite have the heart to finish the job.
Relationships: Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla
Series: Chain Breaker [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616695
Comments: 14
Kudos: 97





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> To my many discord friends who came up with this idea and shamelessly encouraged this AU series.

When Fourteen was sent to Tatooine to track down a Jedi rumored to be in Jabba the Hutt’s employ, she had been expecting them to be a bounty hunter or bodyguard of some sort. 

What she had _not_ anticipated was for him to be Jabba’s personal _slave_.

“His grand eminence, Jabba the Hutt, invites you all to enjoy a performance by his most prized pet,” the protocol droid announced. 

Fourteen was undercover as an exotic dancer. The crime lord went through Twi’lek dancers like a blurrg through spikro grass, so it was easy for her to find a spot in the Hutt’s personal court. It was strange to be dressed in such loose fitting and sparse clothes. It was frankly humiliating and demeaning, but it was a necessary means to an end. 

Right now she was more focused on the human man standing in front of Jabba himself, clad in only red and gold fabric tightly around his groin and a golden collar around his neck. Shear lengths of red and black fabric drifted down from his waist and floated in the air around him. It was the perfect outfit to show off his muscled and tanned body. His long brown hair was pulled back and tied into an intricate braid that stretched down his back. 

Small balls were floating around him in an intricate pattern. He moved his arms around smoothly in an overly-elaborate dance as he used his powers. Jabba was holding a thick chain connected from the man’s collar, shaking it and growling in Huttese as the man grit his teeth in focus. The other members of the audience cheered and jeered at the Jedi. From what they were saying, this was a regular sight in Jabba’s palace. 

It was a wonder the Empire hadn’t gotten word of this Jedi earlier. 

With a wet and boisterous laugh, Jabba yanked the chain, pulling the man up against his slimy and soft body. He muttered something Fourteen couldn’t quite make out, but the Jedi visibly shivered. Jabba was running his hands slowly down his slave’s back, and Fourteen could barely make out the bumpy texture of scars that crisscrossed his skin.

Fourteen couldn’t help but curl her lip in disgust before quickly wiping it off her face. This job would be so much easier if the Jedi had just been a bounty hunter. Jabba wouldn’t have given two karks about it. In fact, he might have offered one of his bounty hunters to the Empire on a platter if it meant currying favor. However, Fourteen had the distinct impression the crime lord wouldn't be quite so accommodating with his _toy_. As an agent of the Empire, she couldn’t risk pissing Jabba off. He was too powerful.

Jabba yanked the chain down to force the Jedi to kneel in front of him, the shear fabric pooling around the man's legs. His shoulders sagged as he stared down at the ground with a blank expression. An expression she had seen so many times before… in all her exploits in liberating slave colonies and slaughtering their' owners', she has seen that look on hundreds of different faces. And they all still haunted her dreams. 

Fourteen pressed her lips together, her mind decided. She would liberate the Jedi under the cover of night. If she played her cards right, she might be able to convince the Grand Inquisitor to let her keep him as a personal asset.

During her own grotesque performance, she tried to grab the Jedi’s attention by reaching out through the Force and brushing against his mind. However, he showed no sign of having sensed anything. His gaze was still fixed to the ground in front of him, the only sign of life was the occasional shudder as Jabba touched him. It hardened Fourteen’s resolve. There was no way she could simply _kill_ him. No sentient deserved that after being subjected to a life of servitude.

The party eventually wound down. Some people left but most found a spot among the many luxurious pillows to pass out. Jabba fell asleep on his dais, the Jedi curled up against his body.

Fourteen silently probed the room, making sure everyone was truly unconscious. Then she slowly sat up, looking around to confirm visually. Untangling herself from the pillows and blankets, she silently flipped over the other sleeping bodies until she was standing in the middle of the room. Looking around, she carefully stepped towards Jabba’s dais. Once she was close enough, she knelt in front of the Jedi and pressed a hand to his mouth. 

The Jedi’s eyes flew open, his turquoise irises immediately focusing on her. The chain jingled as he tried to move away. 

“ _Quiet!_ ” she hissed at him. He immediately stilled, but he was breathing harshly through his nose. “I’m going to get you out,” she said, her voice barely more than a puff of air. 

He frowned in confusion and fear. This was normal for longterm slaves. Any _decent_ slaver knew to destroy the idea of escaping early on. If you make the mere notion incomprehensible, the slave would stay by their master’s side at almost any cost. 

Fourteen wasn’t going to let that happen. Reaching out with the Force, she crushed and snapped the chain. The Jedi looked down at it with comically large eyes. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up. The directive was clear, but fear and hesitation still tainted his signature as he followed her. 

Jabba’s breathing caught, and he let out a low moan as his eyes slowly opened. The Jedi immediately fell to his knees, his breathing coming in short pants as panic took hold. 

She had to act fast. Reaching out with a clawed hand, she dug into Jabba’s mind. If this was going to work, she had to drag him back down into unconsciousness.

To her frustration, Jabba almost immediately started fighting back with a low growl, trying to push her out. Her lekku tensed and curled as she pushed deeper into his mind, slicing at his shields and pouring her will into the fresh cracks. 

With a low groan, Jabba’s eyes eventually rolled back as he sagged onto his dais passed out. 

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Fourteen grabbed the Jedi by his arm and dragged him back onto his feet. The man stared at Jabba’s unconscious body for a moment, a fine tremor running through his body. 

But they couldn’t linger. With a stiff yank, she pulled him towards the exit. He silently stumbled after her, his doubt and fear still sharp against her shields. She was used to it at this point. It was a common reaction from slaves as they were being saved.

The guards of the palace were all weak minded fools, easily bending to her will as she made her way out. Once they were outside, she allowed herself a moment to breathe the fresh air. The cold night air washed over her skin and felt it cleanse the disgusting stench of this place. Once the moment had passed, she was about to continue out to her ship when she found that the Jedi had frozen in his steps.

Fourteen looked back and saw that he was gazing upward at the stars with a mixture of disbelief and wonder.“We need to get moving,” she said sternly. 

The Jedi flinched and looked down at her with eyes filled with tears. His breathing shuddered as he swallowed compulsively. 

They didn’t have time for this. She grabbed his wrist and yanked him along as she went back to her ship. It was a bit of a walk from here, and she wanted to get off this rock before the suns rose.

Thankfully the Jedi just followed her wordlessly. At least he was in good shape, so he had no problem keeping up with her pace. 

The sky was just starting to pale as they approached her ship. It was a medium sized freighter, fully equipped with Imperial shields and weaponry. With her long history as an effective Inquisitor, the Grand Inquisitor had allowed her to pick out her own ship. The normal TIEs were much too small for Fourteen’s taste. And given her penchant for liberating slaves, she needed the extra space for delivering them to save havens. 

But she wouldn’t be able to do that with this one. The Inquisitorious tolerated her extracurricular activities, but her primary purpose was still to eliminate the Jedi pestilence. 

The ramp to her ship lowered and she marched inside. She quickly got to the cockpit and began readying the ship for take off. It wasn’t until she was about to take off that she realized the Jedi was nowhere in sight.

With a curse under her breath, Fourteen ran back through her ship only to find him standing at the base of the ramp. He was staring at it with wide eyes, his hands trembling at his sides.

She was starting to lose her patience. Walking down the ramp, she grabbed his wrist again. “Get in here…” she said with a sigh, trying not to let her frustration show. 

The Jedi was only slightly resistant as she dragged him on board. She could feel him shaking in her grip. Any assurances would have to wait though. They needed to get into hyperspace. 

“ _Sit_ ,” she said as she let him go and went straight back to the cockpit. Closing the ship up, she took off from the surface and pushed her ship to get to the hyperspace lane as quickly as possible. There was no telling when Jabba would wake back up, and she knew once he did, he would send his retainers to come after his pet. 

Nur was preprogrammed into her navi computer, so when she got to the lane, it was a simple press of a button before they were launched into hyperspace. 

Fourteen smiled. It would take a few days to get back to the Mustafar system. That was more than enough time for her to figure out a plan of action in regards to her newest acquisition. 

First thing was first though: get out of this humiliating and ridiculous outfit. She went to her cabin and stripped off the sheer fabric, tossing them aside and promising herself that they would be incinerated first chance she got. Then she donned her usual black outfit, affixing her pauldrons and gauntlets before securing her saber to her hip. 

Fourteen smiled as she straightened her clothes. It felt good to be back in practical clothing. If she _ever_ had to stoop so low again for the sake of a cover, she swore she would find a way to rope Seven into it instead. 

Now that that was dealt with, she looked through her sparse belongings with a frown. She had nothing that would suit or fit the Jedi. He would have to make do with what he had for now. Once they arrived in Nur, she would be able to acquire appropriate clothes for him. That is, if the Grand Inquisitor let her keep him. 

Knowing she needed to check up on the Jedi, she braced herself for a difficult exchange before going out to the cargo bay. As expected, the Jedi was on his knees, his gaze downward and his hands open and pressed against his thighs. It was the default position she had seen him take with Jabba when the Hutt wasn’t touching him or demanding he perform. The memory of it had Fourteen’s stomach writhing in disgust. 

She walked up and was about to speak when something caught her eye. On the durasteel floor was a trail of footsteps that led to where the Jedi was sitting. She stared at them for a moment, trying to figure out what was wrong with what she was seeing. They were _foot_ steps, not boot or shoe imprints. And they were dark. Much darker than the sandy dust of the Tatooine desert. 

“You didn’t have shoes,” she stated in realization. 

The Jedi flinched and barely glanced up at her before quickly returning his gaze back down. 

Fourteen took a deliberate and deep breath before slowly letting it go. Of course he didn’t. There wouldn’t have been any reason for a personal slave to have any. And after the several kilometers they had just traversed, his soles were probably torn to shreds.

She pointed at the corner where a crate of supplies was. “Go sit there. I’ll get my medkit.” 

The Jedi rose without a word, barely even wincing as he hobbled over to the crate. When he sat down, his shoulders visibly relaxed as the weight was taken off his feet. 

Fourteen pressed her lips together as she turned to go to grab the medkit. She also filled a bowl with water and grabbed a cloth. His feet needed to be washed and treated before an infection set in. 

As much as she tried to ignore it, an uncomfortable pit had formed in her stomach. Which was just not fair. It wasn’t _her_ fault he had been injured. Even if she had noticed before they left, it’s not as though she had had a spare pair of boots on her. And she hadn't had the time to go searching for some or stealing them off some sleeping patron. 

Shaking her head, she went back to the cargo bay. The Jedi hadn't moved a muscle. She went over and knelt in front of him, ignoring the way his breath caught and his body stiffened. First she had to assess the damage. Sliding a hand behind his right ankle, she lifted his leg to take a look. It was about as bad as she had been expecting. The skin of his soles had been rubbed raw with several sores cracked open and bleeding. Dust and sand mixed with the blood and were caked on to his feet. With a small huff, she wet the cloth in the water and began to wash the grime away.

As she worked, she took this time to look the Jedi over more closely. He was a large man, one who could easily defeat her in hand-to-hand had he had any fight left in him. Despite his servitude - or perhaps because of it - he seemed relatively healthy with an impressive set of muscles.

However, it was with revulsion that she also realized that the Jedi was practically covered in make-up. Some sort of skin colored pigment was used on his body and limbs, no doubt to help conceal the numerous scars that were starting to show through. And although the Jedi was avoiding eye contact, Fourteen could see that he had stylized dark pigment around his eyes and on his lips. 

Fourteen grit her teeth. She wished she wasn’t so familiar with this kind of objectification. In the past, she had had the pleasure of killing sickos like Jabba the Hutt with her own two hands. But to her great regret, this Hutt had too much leverage with the Empire. Her masters were generally lenient with her, but _that_ they would not be able to tolerate. 

Now more than ever, she wanted to get the Jedi out of this degrading outfit. As it was, her eyes zeroed in on the collar around his neck. She could immediately identify it as a shock collar, one of the cruder ways to keep slaves in check. The few links still attached to it were jiggling slightly as the Jedi trembled. 

“Let me get that off you,” Fourteen said. The Jedi didn’t move as she reached up and wrapped her fingers around the edges, but she could see his muscles tensing. His breathing was uneven and his eyes were unfocused as his fear swelled again. Fourteen made quick work of the collar, the device shattering as she yanked it off with the Force. She tossed it aside with a scowl before returning her attention to his injuries.

There was silence as she applied a layer of bacta to each foot and began wrapping them. As long as they were treated regularly, they should be mostly healed by the time they reached Nur. 

When she was finished, she looked up at the Jedi and was startled to see that he was silently crying. His make-up was streaking down his cheeks as he stared down at his feet in disbelief. 

Fourteen sighed, standing up and crossing her arms. “You have a name, Jedi?”

While there was no outward reaction, she sensed his emotions shift at the label. It was something akin to disgust. Still, he didn’t respond. He just continued to stare downward. 

Fourteen rolled her eyes, reaching out and grabbing his chin, forcing his head up. He let out a small gasp, his fear spiking again as his body started shaking harder. Still, he didn’t pull away. His turquoise eyes locked with hers, and Fourteen felt a pang in her chest that she viciously had to shove back down. She couldn’t let his fear get to her. He might have been a slave, but he was also a Jedi. She could never forget her purpose. 

“I get that your master probably didn’t like you mouthing off,” Fourteen said evenly. “But this will go a lot easier if I can actually communicate with you. So. Tell me… your name…” she said sternly. 

The Jedi swallowed compulsively, his fingers digging into his thighs as he tried to build up the nerve to answer her. She had deliberately made it an order, knowing he wouldn’t be able to ignore it. Finally, after licking his lips, he let out a rough whisper, barely audible over the hyperdrive. 

“K-Kanan…”

Fourteen gave a single nod, letting go of his chin and standing back up straight. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

Kanan just nodded, returning his gaze downward. 

Fourteen gave a small frown. She wasn’t used to dealing with slaves one-on-one like this. Usually after she liberated them, they took care of each other as she delivered them somewhere safe. But this time there was no one else who could take care of Kanan. And they certainly weren’t headed to any sort of haven.

“We’re going to be travelling for the next sixty-seven hours,” she said matter-of-factly. “During that time, I’m going to get to know you a little better. If you’re lucky, you might just yet live. Sound good to you?”

He just nodded again, a shudder running through his shoulders. 

With a tired sigh, Fourteen rubbed the base of her tchun, a headache starting to form. She was beginning to realize she was in over her head. A part of her was screaming that she should just end the Jedi's life right here and now. What made this one so special compared to the dozens she's already killed?

Except she knew _exactly_ what made him different. The other Jedi were older. Veterans who had put up a good fight. But Kanan? This pitiful creature wasn't so different than any other of the hundreds of slaves she had freed. That part of her that yearned for justice was simply too strong.

Fourteen nodded to herself. She would make an appeal. The worst that could happen was her masters simply killing Kanan the moment they landed. In any case, at least the Jedi would have a couple days free from servitude. And that was better than nothing. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: non-consensual touching, whipping
> 
> There's an italicized nightmare. You'll be fine if you skips that.

_Kanan… Kanan Jarrus… Kanan Kanan Kanan…_

It wasn’t so much that he had forgotten the name. He just hasn’t had need for it for it since… Well, since before he had been dragged into Jabba’s Palace. It had served no purpose, so he had simply let it atrophy in the far corner of his mind with so many other memories. 

He was currently curled up on the floor of the sonic shower. His eyes were closed and he slowly rocked as his skin and muscles vibrated. The layers of make-up and grime were evaporating off his skin, and it was the most amazing experience. It was so much better than being strung up and hosed down. 

The shower turned off, and he heard the door open. Opening his eyes, he looked up at the Twi’lek woman expectantly. He couldn't help but give a small smile. She was so nice to look at. 

“C’mon,” she said. “I’ve got a ration bar and some water.”

He nodded and quickly stood, following her to the next room where there was a small table and bolted down seats. At one of the seats was the aforementioned bar and glass of water. Kanan presumed that was where she was going to sit, so he went to kneel down next to it.

The woman suddenly grabbed his arm, keeping him standing. “Sit _in_ the chair. The food and water are for you.”

Kanan was internally smacking himself as he followed her order. She wasn’t the same person. There were going to be different expectations and rules. But he could learn. This woman was already so much more kind and thoughtful. He just hoped he could please her enough so that she’d keep him when she finally figured out that he wasn’t a Jedi. 

When he saw her use the Force to break his chain off, he had felt just a spark of hope for the first time in years. He had not seen another Jedi since the Purge. A part of him had been convinced that he was the last. Then a sickening dread lodged into his sternum, the truth of his existence scraping the inside of his mind like a rabid womp rat. Did she know what he was? What he _really_ was? Did she have any idea of the things he’s done…?

But he was clinging to that tiny spark. As terrifying as it was, it made him feel _alive_ , like he was an actual person. Not _much_ of a person, but someone that might not be so hollowed out. 

She sat across from him and watched as he chugged down the water and ripped the ration bar open. It wasn’t until after he had consumed a couple bites that she spoke. “I’m the Fourteenth Sister. I’m an Inquisitor. Do you know what that is?”

Kanan shook his head. That was a strange name. It certainly wasn’t Ryl. 

“It means I serve the Empire. My purpose is to hunt down Jedi.”

He paused in his chewing. The few bites he had taken suddenly felt like rocks in his stomach. She worked… for the _Empire?_

She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms across her chest. “I was sent to Tatooine to look into a rumor. If I so happen to find a Jedi, it is my job to kill them. However, _you_ …” She looked him up and down.

His throat closing up, he slowly placed the ration bar back down on the table before putting his hands in his lap. So she _had_ figured it out. Jabba may like to show him off as if he was a Jedi, but that had never been true. That person died long before he had even stepped foot on Tatooine.

He heard her sigh. “I need to ask you a few questions. First off, how long have you been with Jabba the Hutt?”

It took every ounce of his control to not slide to the floor and kneel at her feet. She had made it very clear that she didn’t approve of that. It just felt so _wrong_ to be sitting on the same level as Fourteen. His skin was crawling and his insides squirmed with disgust. He moved forward in the seat so his skin wasn’t actually touching the chair. “I don’t know…” he murmured.

“It’s the seventh year of our Empire,” Fourteen offered. 

The world tilted. The _seventh_ year? That… That meant…

“Kanan?” 

He flinched and looked back up at her. He still wasn’t used to hearing that name. He had adopted it not long before he had been taken. Fourteen was probably only the third or fourth person he had ever told it to. 

“I know this isn’t easy but you _have_ to stay focused and talk to me. Do you understand?”

Kanan quickly nodded. He swallowed down the bile that had flooded his mouth. “F-Five,” he choked out.

“Five years?” she clarified. “That’s how long you’ve been with Jabba?”

He could only nod numbly. Five years. How many days was that? Hundreds. _Thousands_. Suddenly very aware that his body was completely exposed, he wrapped both arms around himself and hunched over. Fourteen was going to have to put fresh cosmetics on to hide his scars. 

“Do you know how old you are?”

He swallowed. If it’s been seven years since the Republic fell, that would make him… twenty-one? That didn’t seem right. There was no way he could be that old. That would make him an adult. Which was just... _wrong_. 

“ _Kanan_.”

He flinched and immediately spat out, “T-Twenty-one.” He was internally hitting himself again, reminding himself that he couldn’t afford to screw up. Fourteen had already been gracious enough to keep him around even _knowing_ what he was. He couldn’t jeopardize that. 

There was a stretch of silence, each second weighing down on Kanan as if his chain was getting shorter and shorter. 

“So you _were_ at the Temple.”

He glanced up to see Fourteen regarding him with curiosity. With a lick of his lips, he gave a small nod. “Yes,” he whispered.

She pressed her lips together, some unidentifiable emotion flashing across her eyes. Red eyes that… seemed very out of place on the Twi’lek’s face. Kanan knew that red eyes were not so unusual in some races, but a small part of him was agitated by what he was seeing. A harsh hum was muzzying his foremind, telling him that he _knew_ the implications of those red eyes. 

Kanan squeezed his eyes shut, trying to quiet the noise in his brain. It’s been so long since he’s allowed himself to even _think_. It was just all overwhelming. 

There was the shifting of fabric, and Kanan looked back up. Fourteen had her eyes closed, rubbing two gloved fingers against her temple.

 _Hera let out a low moan of frustration, her lekku twitching as she rubbed her temple. “Why does this have to be so hard…?” she whined_.

It was a flash. A moment yanked from the far reaches of his memory. Echoes of his own amusement reverberated in his chest, but quickly faded. 

What was that? How had he known that girl? Was she…?

Kanan gazed at Fourteen more intently. She could use the Force. She worked for the Empire. She was… not very old… 

All these pieces of the puzzle were floating around in his head but for the life of him he just couldn’t get any of them to _fit_ together. This was why he shouldn’t even try. It’s not like thinking had helped him in the past. Turning himself into a blank slate, letting his betters think for him... _that_ was how he survived. 

Fourteen finally shook her head and sat back up straight. “It doesn’t matter now. What’s important is that you do _precisely_ as I say. If you’re lucky, I can keep you alive and away from the other Inquisitors.”

Kanan nodded eagerly. That sounded perfect. He was good at listening to orders. 

“In the meantime, eat. I don’t want you collapsing on me.”

After he finished the ration bar, she beckoned him to follow her to the cargo bay. He made sure to stay in step with her. The pain in his feet was easy to ignore. Fourteen’s treatment was more than he was used to, and he has had to perform with injuries much worse than this. What was really getting to him was the _cold_. The flow of chilled and dry air made shivers run down his spine constantly. His skin was stiff and it pulled uncomfortably with every motion.

When they got to the cargo bay, he saw that there was a black bedroll unfurled in the corner with a folded blanket resting next to it. There was also a cup and a pile of ration bars. “This is where you’ll be sleeping,” Fourteen said. “You know where the refresher is. I’ll come get you if I need to ask anymore questions.”

Kanan just stared at it all. This was all for _him?_ He glanced over at Fourteen. He wasn’t going to be sleeping with her?

 _Why would she want to touch_ **_you_** _?_

He looked down at his bandaged feet. That had been a necessity. She couldn’t have him getting sick. That would just be more resources in the long run. Besides, the only reason she took him was because she had thought he was a Jedi. She didn’t take him to be a bedmate or a pet.

But now that she knew he wasn’t really a Jedi… why else would she be keeping him alive?

Fourteen gave a small amused huff. “Are you wondering why I have this stuff? You might be surprised to hear that you’re not the first slave I’ve liberated. Not by far.” She turned and began to walk out. “Get some rest.”

He watched her disappear deeper into the ship, leaving him alone with the amenities. He wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing his biceps. His skin was so cold… and the blanket was right there…

Easily sinking to his knees, he opened up the bedroll and crawled into it. It only took a moment’s hesitation for him to grab the blanket and lay it over his body. With a soft moan, he curled up under the layers of warm fabric and pressed his face into the pillow. They were dry and smelled so _neutral_. No perfumes, or musk, or sour body odor… 

Before he knew it, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

* * *

_“Uba lav jeesh nobata multee,” Jabba growled._

_A security droid had one mechanical hand twisted in Kanan’s hair, pulling his head back painfully. The other hand was gripping his arms tightly and pinning them to his back. The newly minted Force suppression collar was tight around Kanan’s neck, his breathing strained as he trembled against the droid’s grip. He had been so close… He had practically_ **_tasted_ ** _his freedom…_

_Jabba beckoned them to come closer. “Jee wid panwa uta-sha a doohdeka nlogs uba…” he said, licking his large wet tongue along his lips._

_Kanan began to hyperventilate as the droid forced him to walk forward toward the Hutt. Hot tears ran down his face as his panicked breathing turned into shuddering whimpers. He couldn’t do this. He could stand to be licked or touched or even_ **_looked_ ** _at ever again…!_

_He was forcibly pressed against Jabba’s body, the bumpy and slimy texture rubbing against his skin. He gagged and struggled to breath through the sour and bitter stench that flooded his nostrils. The Hutt wrapped his stubby arms around Kanan’s shoulders, pinning him there._

_There was a loud crack, and pain exploded across Kanan’s back, making him scream. He thrashed and sobbed against his captor, but it was useless. Jabba’s grip was crushing, and Kanan was just… weak. He was so weak…_

_With another loud crack, the skin of his back split open in fiery pain. Then it happened again. And again. And again…_

Fourteen woke up with a gag lodged in her throat. It took a moment for the nightmare to fade and for her to remember who she was. But even as she centered herself, the disgust and fear were still emanating through the Force.

With a frustrated groan, she rolled out of her bunk and briskly walked out of the cabin. What was going on? She had never experienced a nightmare secondhand like this before. How many dozens of people had she transported in this ship? All of whom had been traumatized by their servitude in similar ways as her current passenger. Not _once_ had their emotions or dreams been so clearly projected into her mind. 

Then again… none of those people had been Force sensitive. 

When she got to the cargo bay, she had been expecting Kanan to be moaning or restlessly squirming in the bedroll. Instead, he appeared to be sleeping peacefully despite the fact that she could still keenly sense his distress. 

She sighed. It would be needlessly cruel to leave him locked in that nightmare. Her skin was still crawling from the little she had seen. So she knelt by his side and gripped his shoulder, giving it a shake. His body was stiff with tension, and he had a slight frown as he gripped the pillow with white knuckles. 

Fourteen shook him harder. “Kanan. Kanan, wake up…” 

Unwittingly, she reached out with the Force and barely brushed up against his mind as she tried to rouse him. Her awareness of his emotions swelled before being abruptly shut off. The tension drained from Kanan’s body as his eyes fluttered open with a soft exhale. His breathing was shuddered as he blinked rapidly and tried to make sense of his surroundings. 

“You had a nightmare.”

Kanan flinched and jerked around in his bedroll, his chest heaving as he panted in panic. 

Fourteen quickly sat back, giving him some space. “You’re on my ship,” she calmly. “Nowhere near Jabba’s palace.”

His breathing gradually slowed as he looked around the cargo bay. Then he visibly swallowed as he nodded and shrank down into the bedroll, lowering his gaze back down to the floor. Long strands of hair had been pulled out from his braid and were now hanging loosely in front of his face, obscuring it.

Fourteen clenched her fists. She hated this kind of submissive behavior. It was rare that she encountered slaves that had been so thoroughly crushed. Almost all had some fight in them, a yearning for freedom and self-agency. However, she sensed _none_ of that in Kanan. The boy in that dream who had been struggling to break free was gone. Obliterated by Jabba’s sick torture.

If she was going to keep Kanan alive, she was going to have to find a way to undo some of the damage that had been done. No part of her would be able to stand by and just leave the man lingering in this broken state. 

In the few minutes of silence had passed as she mused, and Kanan had barely moved a muscle. The only outward signs of life were his shallow breathing and the fine tremor running through his body. In fact, now that she was actually looking him over, she noticed that his skin was dotted with tiny raised bumps. Kanan must be freezing, but he hadn’t even tried to reach for the crumpled blanket that had been pushed aside when he had awakened. 

With a soft sigh, Fourteen grabbed the blanket from the ground, ignoring how Kanan’s breathing hitched with her movements. Gripping one edge of the fabric with both hands, she raised her arms over his head and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, pulling it forward so it encompassed his virtually naked body.

Kanan looked down at himself in shock as Fourteen sat back away from him. He slowly raised his hands to grip the edges of the blanket and pull it more tightly around him, glancing up at her in confusion. 

“There’s no need for you to go cold,” she said matter-of-factly. “I gave it to you to use. So use it.”

He gave a shaky nod, looking back down. “Th-Thank you, ma’am…” he whispered.

Disgust made Fourteen’s stomach lurch violently. “Do _not_ call me ma’am!” she snarled back. 

Kanan recoiled as if physically struck. His shaking increased tenfold as he reflexively curled in on himself and pressed his head to the floor. His breathing was strained as he panted in panic.

For a moment, Fourteen could only stare down at him. His sour regret and fear were sharp in the Force, buffeting against her mind like a violent storm. She grit her teeth. This was going to be harder than she thought. “I’m not angry at you,” she said, despite knowing her words weren’t going to mean much. “Just… don’t call me ma’am, okay? Just call me Fourteenth Sister or Fourteen.”

When Kanan didn’t move from his prostration, Fourteen knelt down and grabbed him by his shoulders to pull him up. The muscles at the base of his neck were stiff, and his eyes were squeezed shut as he braced for a blow. 

“Kanan, look at me.”

With obvious difficulty, he forced himself to open his eyes. They were was shiny and unfocused, but he managed. 

Fourteen took a deep breath. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she said with deliberate softness. “Not over anything like this. Frankly, unless you try to _kill_ me, there’s really no reason for me to ever touch you.”

His fear moderated, once again replaced by his confusion. She would just have to accept that as a win. With a forced smile, she stood up. “Get some sleep.” 

In a last second decision, she gave his shoulder a supporting pat. At first Kanan flinched, then he looked between her and her hand with a small frown. 

Fourteen pulled her hand back. She needed to stop. At this point she was causing more harm than good. “Just… sleep.” She purposefully turned away from him and walked out. She was going to need to meditate. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep through her new passenger's mood swings without reinforcing her shields.

Locking the door behind her, Fourteen knelt on the ground and began to breathe deeply, ignoring out the myriad of emotions that Kanan was projecting into the Force. She hoped she wasn't making a huge mistake. 


	3. Chapter 3

Fourteen had a complete report of her mission prepared before they arrived at Nur. She kept it short and to the point, ending it with a simple request. It would arrive at Nur shortly before they did. She knew there would be no response to her request. Not until her master could see her and Kanan in person. He would want to verify her characterization of the Jedi for himself. The Grand Inquisitor was a practical man. Once he evaluated Kanan, she was confident she could get him to see that Kanan was of no threat and far from good Inquisitor material. There was no reason for him to deny her a… pet.

 _That_ was going to be the most difficult part. Convincing the Grand Inquisitor that Kanan was a broken man would be simple since that was precisely what he was. But her master would not accept keeping him alive on a whim. He had to believe that Fourteen really _wanted_ this. That she had developed an appetite for a bed slave. 

Even _thinking_ it made her stomach roll, and she once again questioned why she was even doing this. Everything would be simpler if she just did away with him. One might even consider it mercy. After all, what were the chances Kanan would ever really be able to appreciate the life given to him? His spirit had been ground to dust and likely would never be put back together. 

Fourteen had even gone to the cargo bay a few times, lightsaber in hand. Kanan would just sit there, kneeling on his bedroll silently as he waited for her decision. She could see in his eyes that he _knew_ her internal struggle. And he accepted his fate either way. 

Maybe that was why she couldn’t go through with it. Every other Jedi she had killed had been defiant. Fighting to the bitter end. One Sullustan man had even got close to besting her. They were stalwart in their ideals and beliefs, firmly lodged in the light. But Kanan didn’t _have_ ideals or beliefs. His Force signature was not light or dark, it was just a small frightened thing. 

He wasn’t a Jedi. He was a slave, and nothing more. And Fourteen didn’t kill slaves. 

An alarm sounded on the console, warning of their imminent arrival to the Mustafar system. Fourteen prepared for the drop, casting her doubts aside. Soon, Kanan’s fate would be decided one way or another, and she would just have to accept it.

The ship dropped out of hyperspace, and the water moon filled the viewport. She transmitted her passcode as she approached the southern hemisphere of Nur. There was a small bit of land that served as the landing field. This was where their new fortress was being built after the last one had been destroyed by some Jedi upstart. Somehow, he had gotten the best of the Second Sister. The first of their kind… 

_She shivered in the corner as she watched Trilla and Master Cere argue. In the distance, they could hear blaster fire. It was getting louder..._

Fourteen had been accompanying the Grand Inquisitor on a mission, and so they had completely missed the destruction of Fortress Inquisitorious. If Lord Vader had not killed the Second Sister, Fourteen had no doubt her master would have instead.

This new fortress was being built inside this rocky structure that just barely broke the surface of the moon’s oceans. It was more stable and much harder to utterly destroy.

After she landed and secured the ship, Fourteen went to retrieve Kanan. As usual, he was sitting on his bedroll with the blanket wrapped tightly around him. “Get up. We’re here.”

He immediately got to his feet, his shoulders hunched as he looked down at her expectantly through his loose hair. 

“Leave the blanket,” she said. It wouldn’t do for it to look like she was _caring_ for him. That would be an all too _Jedi-ish_ sentiment.

Kanan hesitated for only a moment before he slowly lowered his arms, letting the blanket fall to the floor. His body immediately shivered, the tiny bumps rising on his skin again. He went to wrap his arms around his torso before he seemed to think better of it and force his arms down at his sides. 

Fourteen gave a single nod of approval. Having his scars exposed would make it clear his submissiveness wasn’t just a rouse. “Follow me.”

They exited the ship onto the landing platform. The air whipped harshly around with a thick spray of water that completely soaked them as they walked. Fourteen’s clothing was designed to be water resistant, but Kanan had no luxury. By the time they got inside the lift, Kanan was dripping wet. His breathing was shuddering as his teeth chattered. The sheer fabric of his outfit was dark and laden, dragging along the ground. The knots of hair that had pulled free from his now-messy braid were plastered to his face.

“My master is the Grand Inquisitor,” Fourteen said. “When I kneel, you kneel behind me and let me do the talking.”

Kanan just nodded, clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides as he trembled.

It took a full minute to reach the bottom. When the door opened, Fourteen wasn’t surprised to see her master waiting for her. “I received your report, Fourteenth Sister.”

She walked out and knelt in front of him. “Master.”

There was a beat of silence. “This is the Jedi in question, I presume?”

“Calling him a Jedi is a stretch,” Fourteen said easily, looking up at her master. His focus was on Kanan, who’s fear was slowly crescendoing in the Force. “Jabba the Hutt made him his personal bedwarmer. He’s barely more than a common whore now.”

The Grand Inquisitor hummed, his boots clanging loudly on the durasteel floor as he slowly walked over to stand in front of Kanan. Fourteen could hear Kanan’s breathing starting to strain. She risked a glance over and saw that his eyes were wide as they fixated onto the ground.

“And you kept him alive to claim him as your own?”

“He’s easy on the eyes and completely subservient,” she said with a smirk. “The Hutt did an excellent job of breaking him. If others can bring in potential Inquisitors, why can’t I bring myself a toy?” she said sweetly, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.

Igniting his lightsaber, her master lowered the red blade beneath Kanan’s chin then slowly raised it, forcing Kanan to look up at him. Kanan’s breathing hitched as he met the Inquisitor’s gaze. The Grand Inquisitor tilted his head thoughtfully. “And what makes you believe he would not make a proper Inquisitorial candidate?”

“Take a look for yourself,” she said casually. “Any attempt to turn or train him would probably turn him into a useless vegetable.”

With a clawed hand, the Grand Inquisitor wrapped the Force around Kanan’s neck and lifted him from the ground. Kanan let out a garbled choke as his hands shot up instinctively. Then his eyes widened and he let out a small whimper as her master began to dig through his mind. Kanan’s body strained and jerked in the invisible grip, his eyes rolling back as the Grand Inquisitor pushed in deeper.

Fourteen sat passively as she watched. She had expected this. It was the only way for her master to confirm that it would be a waste of resources to try and train Kanan. While Fourteen hadn’t looked into his mind directly, it had been shockingly easy for her to sense everything he had been thinking and feeling the last few days. There was nothing there to twist into darkness. 

Finally, the Grand Inquisitor let Kanan go, his body crumpling to the ground with a loud thud. He coughed and gasped for air as he twisted his fingers in his hair and cradled his head. 

Fourteen smiled. “See? I just want to have a bit of fun.”

The Grand Inquisitor sighed. “Very well. Just make sure he doesn’t get in the way of your duties. You will be personally responsible for his… needs.” 

Something unfurled in Fourteen’s chest as she bowed her head. “Yes, Master.”

He turned and walked away without another word, Fourteen got up and grabbed Kanan by the arm. “Get up,” she growled. 

Kanan flinched and whimpered but still managed to scramble to his feet as she yanked him down the hallway. She did feel a _little_ bad, but she had to get him secured in her cabin as quickly as possible, away from prying eyes. 

Of course, it was just her luck that just as they rounded the corner into the barracks, a sickly familiar voice piped up. “Well what do you have there~?”

Fourteen grit her teeth as she turned around to glare at the Seventh Sister. “Nothing that’s of concern to you,” she growled. 

Seven smiled with a hum, stepping toward them. “That’s quite the specimen you’ve gotten yourself,” she said, her eyes scanning up and down Kanan’s body.

Fourteen stepped in front of Kanan. She might be a good couple of heads shorter than him, but she could block most of his exposed body. “And he’s _mine_. If you lay a finger on him, I’ll break it.”

The Mirilian let out a laugh. “Might be worth it if I get a ride out of it.”

Fourteen’s lip curled as her stomach turned in revulsion. “You will be riding _nothing_. This whore belongs to _me_. Take a good look, because this is the last you’re _ever_ going to see him.” She yanked Kanan’s arm and pulled him to her cabin. Any response Seven had was pointedly ignored. If she had to listen to that woman make one more lecherous comment, she might actually vomit.

She opened her cabin and shoved Kanan inside. After she stepped in, she closed and locked the door behind her. Fourteen let out a long sigh, leaning her forehead against the durasteel. She did it. She kept Kanan alive. Turning around, she saw Kanan standing in the middle of the cabin. His eyes were glazed over as he stared at the ground, a fine tremor running through his body.

But now that she's gotten this far... _now_ what was she supposed to do?

* * *

This place… this place was _evil_.

Kanan had no other way to describe it. His sense in the Force was dull, but the moment they had touched down on Nur, his mind had been flooded with an unnatural cold. It had taken a few minutes to figure out that he was sensing it through the Force. It was so similar to what he had sensed during the Purge…

_No! No, don’t think about it!_

And now it was so much worse. His shields had been shredded apart by that Pau’an, and the energy of this moon was now pouring into him. He hadn’t thought there was any part of him left to be violated, but he had been _wrong_. Now he was certain that there was nothing left to him. There was just this husk of a body.

“I should get you some clothes.”

Kanan was yanked back to the present, turning to look at his master. She had her arms folded across her chest, looking over his body. “I imagine you want to get covered up.”

He looked down at himself. Right. His scars. He managed to nod. If that’s what she wanted… then that’s what he would do. His knees suddenly buckled, and he fell into a kneel on the ground. They had just arrived, and he was already exhausted and drained. What was he supposed to do? What was he _doing_ here?

“You’re… kind of a mess.”

Blinking hard, he looked up at Fourteen. He was shocked to see her so close. She was kneeling right in front of him. 

“You with me?” she asked, looking at him closely. 

He automatically nodded, looking down. His mind was still unable to pull together coherent thoughts. He just wanted things to make sense again. What was he supposed to do?

Fourteen bit her lip. “Okay, maybe I should have given you a warning…” she said softly, pushing some of the hair out of his face. 

Kanan closed his eyes and leaned his face into her fingers. They were so warm…

But then the fingers were gone, and he opened his eyes to see that Fourteen had yanked her hand back. He shrank back from her. What was he _thinking?_ She wasn’t going to want to touch him anymore than she had to. 

Fourteen let out a sigh. “I’m going to get some supplies. Also, I’m going to have to figure out a way to deal with your… hair…”

Kanan swallowed, wondering what that could mean. Jabba had liked it long and tightly braided. It made it easier for him to yank Kanan around with it. But Fourteen didn’t have those types of intentions. 

The door hissed opened and closed, and he looked to see that he was alone. Shivering, he rubbed his cold and damp arms, trying to warm them up. The room itself wasn’t terribly cold - at least, not as cold as the ship - but between the water still dripping down his body and the energy of this place, he felt frozen to his core. 

He crawled backwards until his back was in a corner, curling up as tightly as he could. The durasteel was cold, but he felt minutely safer with his back protected. He trembled and waited, trying to block out the misery and hate swirling around him to no avail. It was all grinding against what little grip on reality he had left. 

Finally, the door opened again, and Fourteen walked in carrying a pile of black fabric. Kanan scrambled to his feet, stepping out of his corner to walk towards her. She dumped a couple of the items into the corner he had just been in - blankets, he realized - before handing Kanan the remaining items. “Here are some clothes.”

Kanan took the clothes reflexively, staring down at them. There was a pair of briefs, long pants, and a long sleeved shirt, all the same material and shade of black. He looked back up at Fourteen and saw that she was looking him expectantly. 

Oh, she wanted him to change. Clearing his throat, Kanan put on the clothes on the ground before grabbing silk fabric at his hips and pulling them down.

Fourteen abruptly turned around, and Kanan paused in movements. What did he do? Why did she turn around so suddenly?

Then he remembered. She didn’t want to have to look at his body. It was why she brought these clothes in the first place: to cover him up. His shoulders sagged slightly in resignation and acceptance as he finished peeling off the waterlogged outfit and began putting on the clothes Fourteen had brought him. At least they were dry and warm. 

With an expression of pure disgust, Fourteen picked up his discarded outfit and tossed it into the garbage chute. “Ugh…” She immediately went to wash her hands in the small refresher attached to the cabin. Kanan stepped back and pressed his back to the wall, trying to ignore the pain in his stomach as it twisted with shame. 

When she came back out, she pointed at the pile of blankets. “Those are for you to sleep with. It’ll have to do for now. The Inquisitorious isn’t known for its amenities. 

Kanan quickly nodded. That was more than enough for him. Anything was good so long as it wasn’t Jabba’s heavy body…

“And now…” Fourteen pulled out a vibroblade. 

Kanan’s eyes widened and he instinctively pressed himself harder against the wall. She had said she wouldn’t hurt him. Unless she had just been lying, but he had _sensed_ it, and it hadn’t _seemed_ like she was lying… 

She rolled her eyes. “Oh _relax_. This is just for your hair.” She frowned. “Unless… does it hurt to have your hair cut?”

Kanan frowned as he gave a small shake of his head. She wanted to cut his hair?

Fourteen sat down on her bunk, crossing her legs before indicating the floor in front her. “Come. Sit.”

It was an easy order to follow, and Kanan felt better the moment he was sitting below her. It felt so much more natural for him to be at his master’s feet, so to speak. This was where he belonged. 

Then he felt her tugging at his hair, and he tensed. He waited for her to yank his head back, a large slimy and rotten tongue shoved into his mouth…

Except that’s not what happened. The tugging never got any harder. It took a moment for him to realize that she was slowly undoing his braid, trying to pull his hair out of the knots that had formed over the last couple days. Slowly, his shoulders relaxed and Kanan closed his eyes. This was oddly soothing. 

But then there was the buzzing of the vibroblade, and his eyes flew open again.

“It’s alright…” Fourteen said. “Not going to hurt you, remember?”

Kanan managed to give a small nod, forcing his shoulders back down. He had to trust her word. It was literally all he had right now. 

Fourteen began to run the vibroblade through his hair. She was taking chunks and tossing them aside over his shoulder. Bit by bit, he felt his hair loosen and his scalp relax as the knots were cut away. Kanan let out a small sigh as he began to relax again. Even though she wasn’t really touching him, there was something so _nice_ about his master grooming him to her preference. 

The vibroblade was put away and she batted at his shoulders to knock off the stray bits of hair that had fallen there. “Well, that was messier than I was expecting.”

Kanan bit his lips nervously as he glanced at the discarded hair scattered around him. “S-Sorry…” he mumbled. 

Fourteen sighed. “Just get up.”

Kanan quickly complied, stepping away from the mess. His hair now barely reached his chin, so it fell more readily into his face as he hunched over. Fourteen just kicked the hair best as she could to the side. “Deal with it later…” she mumbled. Then with a huff, she stripped off the pieces of her armor and set them aside until she was down to pants and shirt identical to what Kanan was wearing. “Get comfortable,” she said. “Because this room is where you’re going to be living from now on.”

Kanan watched as she laid down in her bunk, laying her lekku back over the end of it and closing her eyes with a sigh. It was an obvious dismissal, so he shouldn’t bother her anymore. He quietly stepped over to the pile of blankets in the corner and curled up on it. Once he was settled, he gazed over at Fourteen. After years of angry words, expressions of disgust, and leering stares, her relaxed face was so pleasant to look at.

So… this was his new life. Stowed away in the bowels of a different structure, laying on durasteel instead of sandstone. But this time he was going to be left untouched and hidden away, the Force screaming at him from all directions. 

With a soft sigh, he nuzzled his face into the blankets. He had no idea what kind of life this was going to be, but he had no choice than to simply accept it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this is the end of part one! Not sure when I'll get around to writing more in the series, but stayed tuned! Most will be similar to this, short or oneshots.


End file.
